Garage door opener



May 30, 1933. J. w. scRoGGs 1,911,293

GARAGE DOOR OPENER Filed July 2e, 1929 5 sheets-sheet 1 rj.' Y 60127555; M v,

ATTORNEY May 30, 1933. J. w. scRosGs 1 1,911,293

GARAGE DOOR OPENER Filed July 26, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WITNESS Jwawws,

ATTORNEY Filed July 26 1929 5 Sheets-Shee?J 3 INVENTOR JWGar'oyegq) BY M @i ATTORNEY WWMN.

May 30y 1933- J. w scRoGGs GARAGE DOOR OPENER Filed July 26 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 9 ffl/415443,41? f a INVENTOR cfW'cro .B-YWMY..

WITNESS ATTORNEY May 30, 1933. J, w. scROGGs GARAGE DOOR OPENER Filed July 26 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Imgcroays/ BY e' l ATTORNEY WITNESS Patented May 30, 1933 UNITED STATES JOSlElIH WHITFIELD SCROGGS, 0F NORMAN, OKLAHOMA GARAGE DOOR OPENER Application filed July 26,

This invention relates to garage door openers of the type operatedv from a car. 'A primary object of the invention is to so construct and mount an apparatus of this character that garage 4or other doors or gates either single or double may be opened and 'closed by the driver of a vehicle without leaving his seat; and which operates to keep the door locked except when so actuated.

Another object of the invention is to so construct such an apparatus that it may be operated by an inconspicuous arm attached to the car so that the driver without any effort whatever on his part iinds the doors opening as he approaches and closing behind him ashe backs his car out leaving the doors closed and locked; or if preferred the apparatus may be operated directly by a finger or hand of the driver. n'

In carrying out these objects, the invention issusceptible of awide range of modification without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the claimed invention; there being shown in the drawings for illustrative purposes a preferred and practical form, in which:

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a garage equipped with this improved door opener', the doors shown in closed position;

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the garage with the doors shown closed;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a similar view with the doors shown in open position and the opening parts correspondingly placed;

Fig. 5 is a detail longitudinal section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig.'6 is a transverse vertical section of the upper portion of the garage showing the door opening mechanism therein;

F ig. 7 is an enlarged detail sectional View taken on the line y7-7 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 8 is a vertical section through the reversing switch.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged horizontal section on the line 9--9 of Fig. 2;

Figs. 10, 11 and 1.2 show vertical sections through the housing post illustrating the va- 1929. Serial No. 381,338.

rious positions of the actuating lever or handle and the cam controlled therebyffor the operation of the reversing switch;

Fig. 13 is a horizontal section through the rear portion of the cam housing; and

Fig. 14 is a similar view taken at 'right angles to Fig. 13.

Fig. 15 is a horizontal section taken on line 15-15 of Fig. 8. Fig. 16 is a diagrammatic view of the-o erating cables and their connection.

In the embodiment illustrated a garage 1 of any desired construction is shown provided at its front end with outwardly opening double doors 2 and 3 to which the opener 05 constituting this invention is designedl to be applied. It may be also applied with suit' able adaptations to any kind of a garage or other door.

Mounted in the upper portionof the garage 7 on a suitable platform 5, here shown supported by transverse beams 6 and 7 is a longitudinally movable carriage 1() arranged to slide with its companion sliding piece 60 between guides 11 and 12 and to the front end 75* of which carriage are pivotallyconnected arms or pitmen 13 and 14. These pitmen 13 and 14 are also pivoted to thel doors l2 and 3 so that when the carriage 10 moves forward the doors will bey swung outwardly into open position (see yi 4) and when the carriage is retracted the dgoors will be closed as shown in Fig. 3. On the lower face of the carriage is a longitudinally extending rack which meshes with a pinion 16 car ried by a shaft 17 to which shaft is also fixed a gear 18 whichmeshes with a spur gear 19 on a shaft 20. A worm gear 21 fixed to the shaft meshes with a worin 22 on the driv'- 90 ing shaft 23 of the motor 24.

When the motor is in operation the carriage will be actuated through these intermeshing gears, whose purpose is to'diminlsh the speed of the motor and increase its force 95 for moving the carriage 10.

A roller 25 is loose on the shaft 20 and engages the upper face ofthe carriage 1() which in connection with another roller 26 holds the carriage vagainst vertical movement and insures its proper reciprocation.

A circuit breaking lever 27 is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on guide ll and extends transversely across the carriage l0 as shown clearly in Figs. 3 and 4. This lever 27 is designed to swing between two adjustable stops 28 and 29 designed for a purpose presently to be described.

A reversing switch 30 wired to the motor 24 as shown in Fig. 15 includes a pivoted switch blade 37 connected with lever 27 by an arm 40. This lever 27 is actuated by the studs or stops 28 and 29 carried by the sliding member 60. The normal posit-ion of the lever 27 is midway between the stops 28 and 29 and the sliding piece 6() which carries these stops is reciprocated by lug 6l attached to its side and engaged by the end walls of a recess 10a in the side of the carriage 10. The length of this recess and the spacing of the stops 28 and 29 are such that just before the carriage 10 reaches either end ot its journey one of the stops 28 or 29 comes into Contact with the block or nib 3l carried by the lever and pushes the lever 27 and thereby moves the arm 40 and with it the switch blade 37 away from the contactv pieces 38 or 39 thus breaking the current and stopping the motor leaving the doors either open or closed as the case may be.

The stops 28 and 29 cannot through the lever 27 and the arm 40 push the switch blade 37 to exactly the middle or neutral position between the two contacts 38 and 39. This accomplished by means of a lever controlled cam 35, presently to be described.

The switch 30 is a double pole. double throw switch with two laterally spaced blades 37 carried by the arm 40 and which blades cooperate with four contact pieces 38 and 39 and 38 and 39. These contact pieces are arranged in pairs and spaced apart, contact 38 being opposite contact 39 and connected by a suitable wire with contact 39 while contact 38 is opposite 39 and is connected by a wire with contact 39. These pairs of contacts are arranged in the path of the blades 37 of the switch lever so that when the switch lever is swung in oneV direction the blades 37 will engage the contacts 38 and 38 and when swung in the opposite direction they will engage contacts 39 and 39. One of these positions of the blades causes the motor to rotate in one direction and the other position causes it to rotate in the opposite direction.

Connected with the end of the lever 27 which is secured to the arm 40 of the reversing switch are two cables 32 and 34. The cable 34 then passes forwardly and .is trained around a pulley 33 and extends out through the front portion of the garage and is secured to the periphery of the cam 35 by a screw 36 while cable 32 extends directly through the front port-ion of the garage wit-hout being trained around a pulley and is also secured to the periphery of the cam 35 by lneans of a screw 36a. The cam 35 is in the form of a pivoted wheel or disk having one side mutilated to form a substantially heart-shaped cam. The notch or recess 35 is made with rounded outer corners being designed to cooperate with a roller 49 mounted on a stud 48 projecting laterally from the free end of a lever 4G tulcrumed at the end opposite to the end carrying the stud in a suitable housing 42 mounted on a post in position to be out of the reach of children and affords protection for the operatingr mechanism of the cam so that it will not be affected by the weather.

This heart-shaped cam 35 is mounted on a shaft 44 which extends through the side of the casing 42 and is held spaced from said side by means of a spacing sleeve 35a to provide room for the lever 46 which carries the roller 49. This roller 49 is held yieldably engaged with the periphery of the cam 35 by means ot a spring 50 and constitutes a spring pressed brake. The shaft 44 is provided with a vertically dependingr arm 44a which is designef'l to be operated by the driver oi" the machine whereby the cam 35 is r0- tated according to the direction in which the doors are to he actuated as will be hereinafter more fully described.

A. groove 45 is 'formed in the periphery of the cam 35 through the 11n-notched portion thereotl and is designed to receive the` cables 32 and 34 which are fastened to the cam by adjusting screws 3G and 36a around which the cables are wound and which keeps the cables taut. These cables are. on diametrically opposite sides of the pulley and extend in parallel planes passing through openings in one side wall of the housing 42. see Figs. l()7 ll and 12. Before entering the garage the c; bles 32 and 34 cross each other as is shown clearly in Fig. 1 so that 32 where it enters the garage is disposed in a plane above the cable It will thus be seen that every movement ot' the switch arm 40 is transferred to the cam through the cables 32 and 34 and the movement of the circuit breaking lever 27 above described infallibly turns the cam so that the roller 49 enters the notch in the cam, the spring 50 pressing the roller down into said notch causing it to turn the cam until the roller reaches the bottom of the notch. At that moment, that is, when the roller reaches the bottom of the notch in the cam all the parts are in their normal neutral position, that is, with the handle 44aJ pointing downward, the switch blades 37 midway between the contact pieces of the switch 30 and lever 27 midway between the stops 28 and 29.

A lever 4l is fulcrumed intermediate its ends on a suitable support within the garage and is connected at one end by means of a suitable connection preferably a cable 41a with the switch control lever 27 through arm 40 and the operation of this lever produces the same effect as does the moving of the handle 44a. If desired this lever 41 may be accessible from the outside of the garage through a suitable door with a lock and key for the outside so that should the outside operating mechanism for the lever for any reason refuse to function the lever 41 may be used to open the doors 2 and 3.

The wires shown in Fig. 15 preferably lead to a dwelling or oiice where they are connected by a switch to the main house electric circuitand its meter and when this switch is opened the garage is securely locked until this switch is closed again.

When the parts are in normal resting position with the handle 44a disposed vertically with roller 49 at the bottom of the notch 35 of the cam (see Figs. 1 and 10) and the switch lever blades 37 midway between the contacts 38, 38 and 39 and 39', as shown in Figs. 8 and 15, and the circuit breaking lever 27 midway between the stops 28 and 29 with the doors closed, an approaching car will pass in close proximity to the vertical handle 44a which may be engaged by the hand of the driver or by an arm inconspicuously attached to the car and this handle will be moved in the direction in which the car is moving. For instance, when the handle 44a is moved to the right the cable 34 passing around the pulley 33 pulls the arm 40 to the right so that the blades 37 of the switch engage the contact pieces 39 and 39 thus starting the motor and opening the doors. VVhe-n the handle 44a is moved to the left the cable 32 pulls the arm 40 so that the blades 37 engage the contact pieces 38 and 38 thereby starting the motor and closing the doors. It will thus be seen that the movement of the handle 44a will turn the heart-shaped cam 35 and the roller is pressed into the cam notch 35 by the spring 50. When the roller reaches the bottom of the notch it holds the cam and all of the parts connected therewith in the exact position desired. It will thus be seen that the arm 44a of the shaft 44 to which the cam is fastened may be swung either to the right or to the left approximately through a quadrant of a circle, the cam being rotated according to the direction in which the doors are desired to be actuated. The movement of the handle 44a will turn the cam 35 until the roller 49 is out of the notch 35 and if it is not moved far enough the roller actuated by spring 50 will move the cam and the handle 44a back to initial position. It is also of course understood that the circuit breaking lever 27 being attached to the arm 40 of the reversing switch is moved from its normal central position towards the stop 29 ready to to be engaged by it as the carriage 10 moves forward so that when the carriage reaches its extreme forward limit and abuts the front Atus and to increase the effective force thereof, I

the forward movement of the carriage operating to open the doors by means of the pitmen 13 and 14 and just before the carriage reaches the end of its journey the end wall of the recess 10c comes into contact with the' lug 61 on the slide (i0 and causes the stop 29 to press against the current breaking lever 27 which acting through the arm 40 moves t-he switch lever 37 away from the contact pieces of the switch breaking the current and stopping the motor. The stops 28 and 29 are adjustable to insure the breaking of the current at the proper time. As the lever 27 is thus moved cable connected thereto exerts a sullicient pull to turn the cam 35 until the roller 49 enters the notch. The spring 50 pressing the roller against the periphery of the cam thus continues the rotation of the cam till the roller reaches the bottom of notch, and thus the cam 35, the roller 49, the handle 44a the arm 40 and the. levers 27 and 37 connected thereto are all moved back to their original initial positions awaiting the next n'ianipulation of the handle 44a.

Without fruther description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will, of course, be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or its scope as claimed.

I claim:

1. In combination with a movable closure; of a reciprocable carriage connected to open and close saidr closure, a motor connected to drive said carriage, means for reversing the motor to move the carriage in opposite directions for opening and closing the closure, means located at a point remote from the closure to operate said motor reversing means, and means operable by the carriage to actuate said motor reversing means, said carriage operated means being connected to the remotely operable means to ensure the parts assuming initial position after the closure has been operated.

Q. In combination with a movable closure, a reciprocable carriage connected to open and close said closure, an electric motor connected to drive said carriage, a reversing switch wired to said motor, a lever connected to operate said switch, means located in the path of said lever and operable by the carriage to posiiion said means to engage the lever and step the moor at predetermined intervals` and means; Connected with said lever and operable from a pointremote from the elonre Vfor actuating' 'the lever to open 0r elose the closure.

3. The combination with a movable mem ber, a reeiproeable carriage Connected to operate Said member7 means for actuating said Carriage, Cables connected te Control said aetnating means. e um connected with said Cables, and means for operating said eam to control the. Cable.

The combination with a mmable member, a reeiproeable carriage Connected to operare Seid member, means for actuating said Carriaget Cables connected to control said ael'naiing' means. cam Connected with said eables` :i lever for operating said cam to Conlrol Jdie Cables,

The eembinntion with a movable membe y a reeipre-ezible carriage Connected to operaie @aid member7 ineens :for actuating Said er sibles eonneeed to control said aetnaine inermi` a Cani connected with said e: bleS. and means: for ope-,radiney Said earn ro control lie cable, sind re. .lient menus 'for holding; s-:aid mam in adjusted position.

(i. ln rombinaion with a movable eloem'e, :i reeiprmfable carriage, a link eonneeingl Seid eloenre and Carriage whereby the closure is meine lied by the carriage, Worm gear mechanism ior ope ingry Suid eerriageto open or rsloee the closure, said mechanism operatingr le lool; said closure in either open er eloeed position, a inoi'or eonneeed fo drive said Worin gear, :i Svviteli to Start and stop said meter, a lever for actuating said Switch, lever operating means operable from a point remore to eoni'rol the direction of travel of the carriage, end Cooperating members, one earried by said lever and the other operable by tbe Carriage io shift the lever for openingr or elosinf the switch When the carriage reaches a predetermined point.

JOSEPH W. SCROGGS. 

